Both 27, both 6 foot, have the same career high of #9 with their best GS results being multiple QFs.

Both aggressive baseliners, both have amazing single handed backhands and powerful serves.

Both in the shadows of their countrymen and both very prone to mental lapses.

Both are best on clay, Nicolas pips Stan here but Wawrinka is superior on hard.

Head-to-head is 4-3 to Wawrinka (6-3 at all levels), but Almagro won their only GS match (at the 2012 AO)

Almagro has had the better career (way more titles and GS QFs), but Stan has wins over the very top players (Murray at the US Open and Federer at Monte Carlo) and has reached a Masters Series final. Almagro did beat Murray at Roland Garros but before Murray was top 10.

So, three questions:
Who do you like more (and why)?
Who is more talented?
Who will finish with the better career (poll question)?

1. Stan. Because his backhand is sexier and he seems to have a better attitude.
2. Almagro. His game feels more balanced, and he has more wins over top-tier players than Wawrinka.
3. Almagro. Stan would have to do something pretty damn impressive to go past him now.

Aside from his impressive performance the other night, Stan's pretty predictable. He beats who he's expected to beat and loses to who he's expected to lose to. OTOH Almagro has shown a few times that (on clay at least) he is capable of beating quality players on his day.

Both 27, both 6 foot, have the same career high of #9 with their best GS results being multiple QFs.

Both aggressive baseliners, both have amazing single handed backhands and powerful serves.

Both in the shadows of their countrymen and both very prone to mental lapses.

Both are best on clay, Nicolas pips Stan here but Wawrinka is superior on hard.

Head-to-head is 4-3 to Wawrinka (6-3 at all levels), but Almagro won their only GS match (at the 2012 AO)

Almagro has had the better career (way more titles and GS QFs), but Stan has wins over the very top players (Murray at the US Open and Federer at Monte Carlo) and has reached a Masters Series final. Almagro did beat Murray at Roland Garros but before Murray was top 10.

So, three questions:
Who do you like more (and why)?
Who is more talented?
Who will finish with the better career (poll question)?

Stan after he wins US Open this year wiill undeniably be the more impressive of the two

it's very close, I prefer Stan to watch, but do also like Magro's ballstriking - both fairly even in terms of natural tennis talent, I'd say. Career's are so even - as you said, Magro has way more titles, and Stan has the top player wins. Stan does have better MS results, though (and a Gold medal )... give the slight edge to him. Absolutely not a clue who will finish with the better career, coin flip imo.

On winning DC and its overall importance in the discussion for all-time greats

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orbis

Davis Cup should never have really mattered in the GOAT discussion anyway since it's a team event. If you're talking about the GOAT singles player then you should mainly look at individual results.If some unknown talent came out of some random tiny country (no chance to win DC) and won 20 slams, no one would give a single shit if that player didn't have DC. The fact is, success in DC is largely determined by what country you come from or play for in the first place, which most players haven't had any control over.

1- Almagro by far, in fact he's one of my favourite players. His game, when clicking, is fantastic with displays of god-like shotmaking. Of course he needs to work on consistency, playing smarter at times and the mental aspect betrays him in important moments but, still, I think he's far more entertaining to watch than Stan. Personality wise seems like a cool dude too IMO, despite being prone to losing it on court.

2- Almagro edges it by a little by way of having better shots, but contrary to previous answers I think Stan is more stable with his level during matches and defends better on faster courts.

3- tough to call, again leaning towards Almagro but a MS title from either (achievable) could change things up. this one is a toss up though!

almagro, because he annoys berdshit, and anything to piss off berdshit is good for tennis

__________________“There’s so many athletes, tennis players around the world,” he continued, trying to put his life into some kind of perspective, “they want to be the best in what they do. They want to succeed. Many of them, they don’t succeed in the end. I’m fortunate to have this opportunity and succeed.”

1. Stan, but not by far as I like Nico as well, and I rather prefer watching Almagro on an average day, Stan is better to watch and has more variety in his best days but can be painful, playing quite slow and only in rhythm when he's not in great form, Almagro will usually make more shots ;
2. don't answer, I have a problem with the notion of "talent", the definition is not precise at all ;
3. pretty even imo

An interesting question could be who has the better backhand and I personally think it's Stan.

But Almagro has a better serve for sure, and also a better forehand imo.

For both the movement is their major problem, although it's a little bit for different reasons imo : for Almagro, the major problem is quickness, for Stan the major problem is the balance imo.

1. Almagro, he is funnier plus I still have a hard time with what Stan did to his family.
2. Stan is more talent in folding like a cheap tent while Almagro is magnificent in choking. So it's a tie.
3. I bet on Ferrero will work some magic on Almagro so he is my pick.